Rub-flute



(No Model.)

B. GABPIGIANI. RUB FLUTE.

No; 493,066. Patented Mar. '7, 1893.

INVENTOE fi ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BALILLA OARPIGIANI, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RUB-FLUTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,066, dated March '7, 1 893. Application filed December 19, 1892. Serial No. 455,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BALILLA CARPIGIANI, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Rub-Flute, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in musical instruments,and the object of myinvention is to produce an extremely cheap, simple, and unique apparatus upon which a variety of tunes may be played, and which is especially adapted for use in accompanying some other instrument, such for instance asa piano.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a broken detail perspective view, partly in section, showing the mechanism by which the tone and key of the instrument are changed, and also illustrating the manner in which the instrument is played.

The instrument is provided with asuitable base 10 which should be of wood, and projecting upward from this base is a row of rods 11 which are also preferably of wood as the wood gives out a better sound than any other known material, and these rods are of different heights, the rods being progressively higher or lower from one end of the instrument to the other, although it is obvious that thehighest rod might be placed near thecenter of theinstrumentand theshorter ones near the ends. Each rod 11 terminates at its upper end in a socket 12, the rod extending only partly into the socket so as to leave the top of the socketopen. These socketsare connected together by a cord 13 or other brace, this being used to strengthen the instrument, and this brace is preferably a silken cord, as such a cord is conducive to a good tone in the instrument.

The several sockets are appropriately marked with the key letters to indicate the notes or keys represented by the particular rods. Each socket 12 carries a removable top section 14, and in connection with the instrument a number of sections are provided for each rod, these being of dissimilar lengths, and by changing the sections the tones of the instrument may be also changed so that any necessary tones within certain limits may be produced.

It will be understood that the long rods will, when operated upon as hereinafter described, emit relatively deep tones, while the shorter rods will emit sharper tones.

Theinstrument is played with gloved hands, the gloves being first rosined, and by drawing the gloves longitudinally along the rods the friction will cause a musical note to be produced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A rub flute, comprising a supporting base, a plurality of rods mounted thereon, and detachable sections arranged at the upper ends of the rods, substantially as described.

2. A rub flute, comprising a supporting base, a plurality of rods mounted thereon and terminating at their upper ends in sockets, and detachable sections adapted to rest in the sockets, substantially as described.

3. A rub flute, comprisinga base, a plurality of parallel rods of varyinglengths mounted thereon and provided with sockets at their upper ends, and detachable sections adapted to fit in the sockets, substantially as described.

4. A rub flute, comprising a supporting base, a plurality of rods extending upward from the base, sockets formed on the upper ends of the rods, detachable sections arranged to fit in the sockets, and a brace connecting the several sockets, substantially as described.

BALILLA CARPIGIANI.

Witn ess es:

WARREN B. HUTCHINSON, EDGAR TATE. 

